


Shadow of the Day

by Mykael



Series: Twinsverse [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, DC Comics Rebirth, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, M/M, Murder, Past Relationship(s), Reunions, Secret Relationship, Vigilantism, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 07:40:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16530308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mykael/pseuds/Mykael
Summary: Dick and Jason have started seeing each other in secret and they're intent on keeping things that way. At least for the time being. They make plans to go on their first date, however, after Jason comes back from his next mission. And yet, Dick can't help but feel that something bad is going to happen, deep in the pit of his stomach...





	1. Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> I have decided to write the other Universe from "Growing Up", from the Multiverse prompt. It was more of a compulsion really, and I give kate1zena some credit here, because we _did_ talk about some of the things that might be different in this alternate universe, which in turn gave me some ideas. >:3 At the time, they were nothing more than some fun ideas were were just tossing around for lols, buuut...after writing the "multiverse" prompt, I felt kind of compelled to write for the other universe.
> 
> And if you're wondering, the title comes from a Linkin Park Song "Shadow of the Day".
> 
> **And now for a mild spoilers; see the "End Notes"**

_His name was Jason Peter Todd. He'd been living on the streets for a few years, stealing, jacking cars, and generally doing whatever it took to survive. The streets of Gotham City were not kind to the homeless and destitute, especially children, and especially down in The Bowery. Being homeless, as a kid, in the Bowery, in Gotham City, was a terrible existence; they were preyed upon and taken advantage of most, and nobody seemed to care._

_His mother had died of on overdose when he was only twelve. His father was sent to prison and was currently serving a life sentence. That left Jason Todd a homeless orphan, in the worst part of Gotham City. Even before his fourteenth birthday, he’d already done a lot of things he’d come to regret, but he was a fighter, a survivor; he’d be damned if he’d let this city keep him down._

_Then came that fateful night that would irrevocably change his entire life; meeting Batman._

_Jason Todd, fourteen, had found the Batmobile parked in Crime Alley. The tires had no protection, providing a perfect opportunity. Okay, so it was a little dumb to steal the tires off of the Batmobile, but when you were a starving, homeless kid and opportunity knocked on your door, you answered._

_“C’mon ya bitch,” Jason growled with a mild Jersey accent, struggling with getting the third tire off of the Batmobile, having already stashed the other three in an alley nearby. Jason made a sound of success as he finally pried the third tire from the car when he heard--_

_“Ahem.” Jason turned toward the source of the sound, eyes widening in shock as the Batman stood behind him, glaring down at him. “You do realize that that is the batmobile. Right?” Batman asked in a low, threatening tone. Jason was frozen in place for a few moments, before snapping himself out of it. He glared back at Batman, looking up at him from his kneeling position on the ground, hand still on the jacked tire._

_“Duh. You do realize you parked your car in Crime Alley. Right?” Jason shot back, mocking Batman. Instead of bolting, like any rational person in his position would’ve done, he quickly jumped to his feet and swung the tire iron at the black-clad vigilante. Batman caught it effortlessly and yanked it from the teen’s hands, then lifted him up off the ground by the front of his shirt._

_“Tch. You wanna beat up on a kid, go join the GCPD, like every other bully in this city,” Jason snapped, glaring back at Batman. Of all the stupid things he’d ever done in his life, Jason honestly felt that this was probably number one. He’d always been a fighter though, and that clearly hadn’t changed, even when he was staring into the face of ‘The Dark Knight’, a real nightmare in a cape._

_“I’m only going to ask you this once, so give your answer some very serious thought,” Batman ground out, pulling the teen closer._

_“What?” Jason snapped back. Suddenly, Batman smiled at him, and that, he found, was more unsettling than anything._

_“Are you hungry?”_

* * *

 

Dick and Jason giggled as the two of them darted down the hallway of Wayne Manor. Bruce was out on patrol and Jason had been benched for a week for…less than Robin-like conduct out in the field. That meant that they, other than Alfred, were the only ones in the manor.

Dick pushed open the door to his bedroom and looked around to see if Alfred was nearby. When he was satisfied they were alone, he followed the teen inside, and closed the door.

“God, we’re like fucking school children,” Jason said with a grin on his face as he flopped down onto Dick’s bed. Dick chuckled a bit and began changing out of his Nightwing costume. “No, leave it on,” Jason blurted out, face heating up. Dick glanced over at the teen, having only removed his mask, and flashed a grin.

“My, my, Little Wing. I didn’t know you were into--”

“Just shut up and come kiss me, _Dick_ ,” Jason snapped, but with a playful edge in his voice. Dick grinned at the teen but was happy to oblige, as he crossed the room, slowly. He leaned down a bit, cupping Jason’s jaw, and gently pressed his lips against his. Jason sighed contentedly into the kiss and let his hand come up to tangle in the dark hair at the back of Dick’s head, deepening the kiss.

It started a year ago; Dick had turned 18 and had moved to Blüdhaven to work as a Personal Trainer at his very own gym during the day and patrol as Nightwing at night. Jason was 15 at the time and had been Robin, Boy Wonder for close to a year; he’d gone through a little over six months of intense training before he was given his gear. Jason had had a crush on Dick for years, since he saw him at the circus when he was a kid, when his parents were still alive.

Dick had gone through a rather rough break up with Barbara. Jason and Roy had broken up with each other a week prior; they decided they were better as friends than boyfriends. Jason, for his part, had finally worked up the courage to ask him out on a date. The hardest part, was getting past the fact that they were, technically, brothers. Well, kind of. They had both been raised by the same man, true, but only Jason had been officially adopted. Dick was still just Bruce Wayne’s ward. So, also technically, they were neither legally or blood related.

Now, they were 19 and 16, respectively. They were keeping their relationship a secret, for obvious reasons. As a result, they had been sneaking around the manor and skulking around behind Bruce’s back. They were fairly certain that Alfred knew about it; more than a few times, he’d walked in and interrupted them, or had just all-too-perfect timing. If he did know, he’d kept it a secret, not told Bruce; they hadn’t been confronted about their relationship yet.

Dick chuckled a bit as he pulled away from the kiss, his lips brushing against Jason’s.

“Dickie,” Jason whispered. Suddenly, Dick pushed Jason down on the bed and climbed on top of him, kissing him deeper and cupping his jaw with both hands. “Mmm, fuck. C’mon, let’s…let’s go,” Jason whispered, a blush spreading across his face. Dick paused and parted from Jason, pushing himself up. Jason, confused, propped himself up on his elbows and flashed a confused look. “Dick?”

“I…we can’t, Jay,” Dick replied. “We can’t…do that yet.”

“Why not? We both want to,” Jason asked, frowning a bit. Dick huffed a bit and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You know why…I’m 19, and you’re still under age. We can’t--”

“What about those…what’re they called? Romeo and Juliet laws or whatever?” Jason asked. Dick sighed and raked a hand through Jason’s hair, leaning in close and stealing a kiss.

“They don’t protect same-sex couples, Jay.”

“Well…fuck.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can wait for you,” Dick replied, flashing a smile. He bit his lip and cupped Jason’s jaw, tilting his head up to make the teen look at him. “I’ll wait for you. You’re worth waiting for, Little Wing. Just… a little over a year now, and we can do whatever was want.”

“Whatever we want?” Jason asked with a seductive grin, wiggling his eyebrows. Dick gave a low chuckle, staring down at Jason through half lidded eyes.

“Yes, whatever we want. Can you wait? Hmm? Just a year, and--” Dick began, interrupted when Jason sealed his lips against the older man’s. Dick moaned into the kiss, cupping Jason’s jaw and deepening the kiss.

”It’s fuckin’ bullshit,” Jason started, with a mild Jersey accent “but yeah. I suppose.” Dick chuckled again; it was adorable, Jason’s accent. These days, it only came out when he was peeved about something, or when he was pouting, like right now.

“You’re adorable when you’re annoyed, Jay. Anyone ever tell you that?” Jason grinned and leaned in closer to Dick until their foreheads touch.

“Yeah. You did, just now,” Jason replied. Dick chuckled and stole a kiss.

“Smart ass.” The two of them shared another, brief kiss, before a knock came at Dick’s door. The two of them jumped apart immediately, with Jason grabbing a random book nearby and making himself comfortable on the bed, while Dick went to answer it. Naturally, Alfred stood at the door with his usual stoic expression.

“Master Richard. I see you are back from patrol,” Alfred said evenly. Dick chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I just got back a little while ago,” he replied. Alfred arched an eyebrow and pointed to a mark on Dick’s neck.

“Indeed. And how did you acquire this peculiar mark?” he asked, looking past the acrobat to find Jason sitting on his bed, reading. Dick schooled his expression and shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, this? I don’t…know,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Indeed,” he replied evenly. He glanced toward Jason and gestured for the teen to follow him. “Master Jason, if you would come with me. Master Bruce has returned from patrol and has requested your presence down in the cave.”

Jason looked up from his book and shared a look with Dick. He glanced back at Alfred, then closed the book and padded out of the room, behind Alfred with Dick accompanying him. Dick and Jason exchanged another look as they both made their way down the hallway, then Dick jogged ahead a bit, catching up with Alfred.

“Um…Alfred,” Dick began, rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you--”

“You secret is safe with me, Master Dick,” Alfred replied simply, flashing a knowing smirk. Dick smiled at him and blushed a little bit.

“How long have you--”

“I’m old, Master Dick. I may not be the detective you or Master Bruce are, but I see things, know things,” he replied.

“Thanks Alf,” Dick replied, falling back alongside Jason.

“He knows, doesn’t he?” Jason asked. Dick simply nodded. Jason frowned a little and sighed. “Can’t get anything past that old man, can ya?” he asked with a snicker.

“No you cannot, Master Jason,” Alfred replied, prompting Jason to flinch. The man looked over his shoulder and gave a slight smirk. The trio made their way down the stairs and through the entrance behind the grandfather clock, descending into the cave. There, they found Bruce in full Batman gear, sans the cowl, working at the Batcomputer.

“Bruce. You wanted to see me?” Jason called. Bruce finished up some work on the Batcomputer before he turned around in the chair and looked directly at Jason.

“Jason,” he began, then glanced over at Dick. He said nothing to Dick, but turned to Jason and patted his shoulder. “Pack your things. We have a mission in  Qurac. We’ll be arriving on ‘official’ business as Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd,” Bruce explained. Jason and Dick exchanged looks, then an excited look spread across Jason’s face.

“Wow, really? So you’re letting me off the bench then?” Jason asked.

“Yes,” Bruce said simply, heading toward the armory. Dick felt a pit in his stomach; he didn’t know what, but he had a bad feeling about this. He’d learned a long time ago to trust his instincts, but…maybe he was overreacting this time?

“Bruce…maybe I could come along and help?” Dick asked, followed the man to the armory. Bruce paused in his work for a moment and looked up at Dick with the usual stoic expression; unreadable.

“No. Jason and I can handle it,” Bruce replied evenly. Dick frowned a little and approached the man.

“Bruce, seriously, I can help. Don’t cut me out because of a silly argument,” Dick said to him. Bruce sighed and looked up at Dick, patting his shoulder.

“Dick, it’ll be fine. I’m not cutting you out; Blüdhaven needs you. The Titans need their leader. It’s nothing he, nor I, can’t handle,” Bruce explained. Dick frowned, but nodded nonetheless. He didn’t like this, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to change Bruce’s mind. He didn’t know why, but he got a bad feeling about this whole thing. Even so…

“Alright. But I’m wrapping up my own investigation here in Gotham. I’ll be here for the next couple of days, so if you need me--”

“I know,” Bruce answered. Dick gave a nod and then turned to leave, but Bruce’s voice stopped him again.

“And Dick. When we get back, I’d like to talk to you about yours and Jason’s relationship.” Dick flinched at the mention of it, his face heating up. He slowly turned around and flashed an embarrassed look.

“Uh--”

“I’m a detective, Dick. But I’ll give you an A for effort. You did pretty well to hide it from me for so long. And in my own house no less. I’m impressed,” Bruce explained, the corners of his lips canting upward into a slight smirk. Dick chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh…thanks?” The man’s smile faded though, replaced with his usual stoic expression.

“But we’re going to have a serious discussion about it when we get back.”

With that, Dick made his way back up to the manor. He let out a deep breath, though frankly he was a little bit worried about Bruce knowing about him and Jason. His reaction to it was rather tame, so he wasn’t too worried; he wasn’t angry, or upset, or…anything at all, really. That was a good thing; when Bruce was mad about something, he let you know. So that was mildly relieving. That was going to be an awkward conversation though.

Dick made his way up the stairs and down the hallway to Jason’s room. The teen was packing an overnight bag with clothes, books and--

“Cigarettes, Jason? I thought you quit those things?” Dick asked, leaning against the door frame and arching a black brow. Jason spun around on the spot and looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

“What? I don’t know what--” Jason began, but Dick gave him a look, and he knew he was busted. “alright, fine,” Jason replied with a sour expression on his face. “You caught me. But they’re fine. Pure Tobacco cigarettes.”

“They’re still bad for you, Little Wing,” Dick replied, making his way over toward Jason and plucking the pack out of Jason’s overnight bag. Jason frowned and snatched them back.

“I’m gonna quit,” Jason replied, packing a few more things into the bag. He looked over his shoulder at Dick and added “I’m not an addict, if that’s what you think. I only smoke, maybe one a day.”

“I’d prefer if you smoked none at all,” Dick replied, crossing his arms over his chest. Jason frowned a bit and packed a few books into his bag before zipping it closed.

“Well…I’ll get there. For now, it’s just a hobby,” Jason answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He made his way to the door, but a hand on his chest stopped him. He looked up at Dick, who placed his hands on the teen’s shoulders.

“Jay,” Dick said softly, cupping the teen’s jaw and stroking his cheek with his thumb. Jason groaned in annoyance and rolled his eyes, digging the cigarette package out of his bag. He took out two cigarettes and tucked them away, handing the pack to Dick.

“Here. Do what you want with ‘em. I’ll take these two, and when they’re gone, that’s it, okay?”

“I was actually just gonna say--” Dick started. He looked around the room a little, feeling that pit in his stomach again “--take care. And be careful, okay?” Jason looked up at Dick and smiled. He leaned in close and stole a kiss.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. And when we get back, maybe you and I can go on our first real date, yeah?”

Dick frowned a little and mulled the idea over in his head. There were a few date ideas he could think of that they could get away with. Finally, he flashed a smile and nodded his head.

“Sure. We’ll do that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This new series probably means another "Under the Red Hood" type story later on, because I can't see anyway to avoid it. That makes like, 3 that I've written. xD So...if you had hopes for a return of my old "Lazarus Effect" series, I'm afraid I must dash them. I'm cannibalizing it for this series. Also stealing the name. I have some deliciously deceitful and delightful ideas in mind though. For now, enjoy this little prelude...
> 
> *evil laughter* >:3


	2. Qurac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission in Qurac goes awry, when Jason makes a startling discovery.

The next few days in Qurac were spent tracking down Ra’s al Ghul. It was only once they were on the plane, that Bruce explained what the mission was. Ra’s al Ghul was in Qurac for reasons as of yet unknown. What they did know, however, was that if he was in Qurac, he was obviously up to no good. With Queen Bee constantly plotting to conquer Qurac from the neighboring country of Biayla, it seemed likely that he was involved with another such plot. Whatever he was planning, Batman and Robin would put a stop to it.

“Robin!” Batman called as an assassin jumped down from a rafter above the teen. Robin looked up, then back flipped to avoid being stabbed. Robin grinned and threw out several birdarangs, knocking the sword out of the assassin’s hand as he attempted to charge him.

“Ha! Too slow!” Robin taunted, lunging in and delivering an uppercut the assassin’s jaw, sending him crashing against a shelving unit behind him. “League of Assassins? More like the League of Losers! Can’t even beat a kid,” Jason taunted. He turned and gasped as an assassin behind him raised his sword to strike him. Batman tackled him, then slammed him against the wall. A few solid punches to the face, and he was out cold.

“Robin, keep your guard up! Don’t get cocky!” Batman scolded. Robin growled, mentally berating himself for the amateur mistake. The two of them worked in tandem to take down the rest of the assassins, but in the chaos, Ra’s managed to slip away. Jason growled to himself and turned to see Batman interrogating one of the assassins on the opposite side of the room. He couldn’t make out what he was saying to him, even as he approached, but whatever it was, it must’ve been serious; the assassin sang like a canary.

“What do we have?” Jason asked. Batman turned to Robin after he finished tying the assassin up to prevent him from escaping.

“Ra’s al Ghul is moving assassins into key positions around Qurac. When Queen Bee gives the word, the assassins will take out President Rumaan Harjavti, as well as all of the country’s top military and political officials, rendering the country vulnerable to invasion.”

“Wow. Well shit,” Robin muttered, wide-eyed at the implication. Queen Bee was a vicious dictator; a manipulative, power hungry, despot willing to do whatever it takes to get her way. She was especially dangerous due to her unique ability to use pheromones to control people, based on their sexual attraction to women.

“We also have a secondary problem,” Batman went on, his eyes narrowing.

“Which is?” Robin asked.

“The Joker. He’s here in Qurac.”

“Great. What’s that freak doing here?”

“I don’t know.”

“So what’s our next move?” Robin asked, turning to Batman. Batman made his way out of the building with Robin in tow.

“We gather intel. We wait and watch. We need more information before we can act,” Batman explained.

“Huh. Sounds kinda boring. We know who they’re targeting; why not just track them down and pound the crap out of ‘em?” Robin asked with a sly grin. Batman stopped beside the Batmobile and turned to glare at Robin.

“I know, I know. Patience yields focus. Right then,” Robin replied, rolling his eyes as he hopped into the passenger’s seat. “Hey, maybe I can dr--”

“No.”

* * *

 

Once they arrived back at their hotel as Jason and Bruce, they began doing some digging into the goings on in both Biayla and Qurac. A war was brewing on the border of both countries with entire villages getting caught in the crossfire. This was where the found the Joker; in the medical camps set up away from the fighting, some of the sick and injured were reported to have ‘laughed themselves to death’. So it seemed the Joker was replacing medication with Joker Toxin.

His sick sense of humor almost always seemed to involve the harm or the deaths of innocent people, but the question remained; why was he in Qurac? As far as either Batman or Robin could tell, he had no affiliation with either Queen Bee or Ra’s. Whatever he was doing, seemed completely separate from what they were trying to accomplish. The Joker’s presence didn’t bode well, either way. Whenever he was involved, things always quickly spiraled out of control.

At the moment, however, Jason was on his own, sitting at a table beside the window and working on his laptop. Bruce had left him alone to do some reconnaissance and intel gathering of his own. Even with their tech, there would always be people who saw or knew a few things, who’d let them slip if you just played your cards right. You never knew who would know what.

Jason wasn’t pleased at being left behind, but nothing was stopping him from investigating on his own here at the hotel room. He sat in front of the computer and continued to go over the compiled evidence to see if he could find anything they may have missed. He frowned at the computer screen, having already looked it everything over a couple of times already and not seeing anything new. He huffed in annoyance and pushed the laptop away, annoyed with…well, everything. He felt like a kid again, with Bruce ordering him to stay here while he went out and continued investigating on his own. What was he to do? Just sit here?

_No. Not just sit here. There’s still something I can do._

Jason pulled the laptop back toward himself, then linked up with one of Wayne Tech’s satellites. Bruce had secretly outfitted a few of Wayne Tech’s satellites with surveillance technology. He could use that to take a little peak at Qurac and Biayla and see what he could find. He had a few suspicions as to where Ra’s was hiding out…

“Hmm, let’s see,” Jason muttered, resting his chin in his hand as he searched through the live satellite feed. Something caught his eye, however and he quickly moved toward it. He stared, wide-eyed, at what he saw on the screen. “Mom?!” Jason jumped up from his chair and raked his hands through his hair. She was supposed to be dead! She died from an overdose, so how was she alive? And how and why was she here in Qurac?!

Jason paced the room a bit as he considered a course of action. The detective in him told him that something about this was wrong, that this could be a trap. And yet the boy in him, the boy who watched his mother overdose and die…he just wanted to see his mother again. Jason’s eyes narrowed as he looked over toward his Robin gear and decided on a course of action. He donned his Robin gear, throwing some clothes on over it and stowing his domino mask in his pocket.

_I’m going to find my mother. I’ll just be careful…_

With his gear on, Jason downloaded the data onto his android phone and then followed it off to where his mother was. She was at one of the refugee camps a several miles outside of town, to the east. He wasn’t sure what she was doing there, except maybe trying to help people? Regardless, he snuck out of the hotel room and made his way toward the refugee camp to see her.

He took the Wingcycle, which he summoned with his wrist-mounted computer from a secret base underneath Wayne Tech, Qurac. Bruce had both the Batcycle and Wingcycle sent her via zeta tube, just in case. He put it in camouflage mode as well, to make it appear as little more than a regular bike.

As the refugee camp appeared on the radar, he switched to stealth mode to quiet the engine, parking a distance away from it, and engaging cloaking. With that, he made his way over toward the refugee camp, carefully scanning the crowds from a distance. He then made his way toward the camp and began searching the place for his mother. It wasn’t until around the twentieth person he asked, that he learned she headed east, toward one of the recently abandoned villages to help scour for supplies.

Jason made it to his motorcycle and made off for the village in question. It came into sight minutes later, with people scouring the village and loading supplies onto the truck. Jason was careful as he made his way into the village, the workers stopping to throw glances his way. Jason parked the motorcycle and pulled out his phone, once again asking about his mother.

“Jason?!” came his mother’s voice from behind him, barely above a whisper. Jason spun around on the spot, his face lighting up with joy as he hugged her tight, tears filling his eyes. She stood in the entrance of what seemed to have once been a clinic, staring at him wide-eyed. He scanned the area quickly and gestured for her to follow him, but she grabbed his hand and led him to a secluded spot clear across the camp.

“Mom, it’s me,” Jason said to her, fighting back the tears in his eyes. “God I missed you,” he whispered, voice wavering. Catherine hesitated, glancing down at her teenage son.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Catherine replied, her voice still barely above a whisper. Jason parted from his mother and flashed a hurt look.

“What? But why? Mom, what’s going on? I can help you!” Jason said to her. Catherine shook her head and grabbed his hand, flashing him a smile.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does, mom! It matters to me!” Jason replied. She led the teen away from the building and out of earshot. “I thought you were _dead_ , mom! Why…why did you leave? Why did you leave _me_?!” Jason asked, finding it difficult to mask the hurt in his voice as tears pricked at his eyes.

Catherine’s own eyes began to water. She shook her head and turned away from him.

“I don’t know. That last thing I remember after…” she paused for a moment and turned back to her son. “The last thing I remember after I overdosed, is waking up here in Qurac.” Jason frowned at her response, but now he had a million new questions. How did she get to Qurac? Why was she here? Who brought her here? Why did they bring her here…but most important of all; why didn’t she come home?

“Why didn’t you come back?” Jason asked in a low tone. Catherine sighed and shook her head.

“I wanted to. So many times, I wanted to come home to the boy I left behind,” she said softly, cupping his cheek. Jason leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, letting out a contented sigh. She pulled away from him and he opened his eyes again, following her as the two of them walked down the abandoned streets. “But…this was my chance to start a new life. Away from Gotham, away from all the…horrible memories. The pain. I felt like this was a chance to start clean; no drugs, no pain, a chance to build a new life.”

“Was I…one of those mistakes?” Jason asked softly. Catherine turned immediately and shook her head.

“No, sweetie. Never.” Jason smiled brightly at her reply and hugged her tight.

“But then the Joker--”

“The Joker?! What’d he do?!” Jason asked sourly with a deep frown on his face.

“How do you--”

“Mom, whatever he’s up to, I can help,” Jason interrupted. Catherine stood there, confused for a moments, until Jason lifted his shirt and revealed the Robin costume underneath. Catherine gasped and reached out to touch it, running her fingers over the golden “R” on his chest.

“That costume…"

“That’s right. I’m Robin, Boy Wonder,” he explained, flashing a cheeky grin. “I’m Batman’s side kick. Whatever the joker is up to, he and I can help you. Please, let us.” Jason bit his lip and jammed his hands in his pockets, fidgeting in place. “And…then maybe…we can go home? Together?” he asked. Catherine was silent for a time. She glanced toward what looked like a warehouse behind her and then turned back to Jason.

“Alright. Come with me,” she said, flashing a smile. Jason beamed at her response and followed her to the warehouse. Even as he did, he stripped off his clothing, revealing his full Robin costume underneath, and pressed his mask to his face. Once they were inside the warehouse, Catherine turned back to her son.

“Okay, so what's going on?” Jason asked. Catherine was silent for a few moments, staring blankly at the floor. When she looked up again, she flashed a sad smile.

“I’m so sorry, Jason. I love you, so much…but this is my chance at a new life,” Catherine whispered, as tears fell down her face. Jason flashed a confused look.

“Mom, what’re you saying?” Jason asked. Suddenly, metal collided with the back of Jason’s head. He crumbled to the ground in a heap, groaning in pain. He lifted his head, tried to look around, his vision fade. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious, was his mother and the Joker…

“Looks like I’ve caught myself a little birdie!” came the Joker’s voice, followed by a demented giggle as he stroked the crowbar in his hand. He looked over at Catherine and flashed a sly grin. “You are one cold-hearted lady! Leading your own pride and joy into a trap, all to save your own skin!”

“Shut up, monster,” Catherine snapped, drying her eyes. “You promised to let me go and leave me alone if I went along with this. I’m leaving.”

“Not so fast!” The Joker replied. Catherine turned and screamed, shielding herself with her arms as the Joker swung the crowbar at her, laughing maniacally.


	3. Tragedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoo hoo, Batsy!” came the Joker’s voice. Batman’s head snapped toward the screen and there he saw the Joker dancing onto the screen. “To quote one of my favorite movies--” the Joker began, grin turning feral as he cleared his throat “I want to play a game.” He gave a cruel cackle as he turned to Robin and struck him in the ribs with the crowbar, pulling the teen out of a state of unconsciousness with a gasp of pain.

Bruce made some headway in the investigation, pretending to be another tourist and talking it up with the locals. Bars and taverns were always the best source of information in what was what on the streets of any town or city. Drinkers tended to talk the most, and you could hear all sorts of surprising information, rumors, secrets, and so forth. But even that only went so far.

He spent a good portion of the day at Wayne Tech, Qurac conducting business while secretly running some of his ‘other errands’ using the computer in the secret bunker beneath the building. From there, he went out into the city itself, using an old alias ‘Matches Malone’. Though to better blend in, he opted to use an actual first name, as opposed to the name of a gangster. So, ‘Malcom Malone’ spent a whole day ‘sightseeing’.

Most of what he’d learned was stuff he already knew; like Queen Bee planning more raids on the border, carrying out military strikes against defenseless villages as a show of force, and so on and so forth. Rumaan Harjavti had made a few appeals to the UN for aid, requesting sanctions against Bialya to try force an end to the hostilities at the border. So far, that motion was still “pending”.

He had managed to get some interesting intel, however. Such as an unidentified caravan seen sneaking through the Qurac/Bialya border last night, heading for a refugee camp not far from the city. Rumor had it that some of the high ranking diplomats and bureaucrats had recently hired new ‘assistants’. All of this served to confirm what he’d already suspected; that Queen Bee and Ra’s al Ghul were working together. For what purpose, he didn’t know. It wouldn’t be the first time Ra’s had plotted something as part of some convoluted scheme. Whatever he was plotting though, he would stop it.

However, now it was time to be Batman. One of his satellites alerted him to the presence of the League of Assassins near an outpost in Qurac, just a few miles away from the border to Bialya. He was unsure as to what they were up to, but he was going to find out. Batman took the Batwing out toward the outpost, flying it in stealth mode, which made it nearly completely silent, and undetectable on any kind of radar. It took only minutes for the outpost to come into view, and from there, he dropped out of the jet on the Batcycle, sending the jet away as he raced toward the outpost.

He’d managed to slip inside the walls with relative ease, but when he arrived, all of the soldiers who had been stationed there, were dead. They had all been replaced instead, by League assassins. The corpses of the soldiers had been left carelessly where they had been slain, but there were also bodies of Bialyan soldiers, likely as a set up to throw suspicion off of any third party involved in the attack. That came as no surprise; Queen Bee was ruthless and more than willing to throw away the lives of her own people if it meant increasing her own power.

As Batman snuck through the outpost, sticking to the shadows, he spotted Ra’s al Ghul himself, walking beside his personal bodyguard, Ubu. His real name, much like Ra’s’ own, was unknown; Ubu was simply a title. The man had an imposing physique, standing at over six feet tall with heavy musculature.

Batman’s eyes narrowed on Ra’s was he watched the man slip inside the main office of the outpost. He now had a destination; cut the head off of the snake, and the whole plot would quickly fall apart. He snuck through the outpost, once again sticking to the shadows, and made his way inside the office.

“Detective. How kind of you to join me,” said Ra’s, who was sitting at his desk, sipping wine. Batman glared at him and stood to his full height, dropping all pretenses; Ra’s had been expecting him. “Come, sit. Let us talk,” the man said with a neutral expression, gesturing toward the chair across from him. Batman glared at it, then glared over at Ubu who was standing passively in a corner nearby. Batman opted to remain silent.

“No? Very well then. Straight to business I suppose.” Ra’s finished his wine and set the glass aside and rose from his seat. “You are going to leave, and allow me to conduct my business without interference,” Ra’s more or less stated, placing his hands on the desk and leaning over it. Batman’s eyes narrowed.

“And what makes you so confident that I’ll just walk away and let you do as you please?” Batman asked. The corner of Ra’s’ lips tugged into a smirk.

“Because you wouldn’t want something to happen to your… _son_ …would you?” Ra’s asked. Batman’s eyes widened in shock, followed by a dark glare. He lurched forward with the speed of a striking viper and grabbed Ra’s by the collar of his black, gold hemmed vest and yanked him forward, lips curling into a snarl. Ubu attempted to intervene, but Ra’s raised a hand to stop him.

“What have you done to Jason?” Batman snarled at him. Ra’s raised his hands to show he was no threat, then slowly reached for a device on his desk while his eyes were locked with Batman’s. He pointed it toward a wall mounted TV, with a webcam, nearby and pressed a button on it. Robin appeared on the screen, tied to a chair with his gauntlets and boots removed. He appeared to be unconscious.

“I have done nothing, but he has,” Ra’s explained.

“Yoo hoo, Batsy!” came the Joker’s voice. Batman’s head snapped toward the screen and there he saw the Joker dancing onto the screen. “To quote one of my favorite movies--” the Joker began, grin turning feral as he cleared his throat “I want to play a game.” He gave a cruel cackle as he turned to Robin and struck him in the ribs with the crowbar, pulling the teen out of a state of unconsciousness with a gasp of pain.

“Joker!” Batman snarled.

“Ya got ten minutes to come get birdboy before I clip his wings! Hope to see you soon! Ta ta!” The Joker taunted with a demented cackle as the screen went dark. Batman turned back to Ra’s and threw him backward. The man cleared his throat and straightened his cloak.

“Time is wasting, detective. You must decide; waste time attempting to stop me and risk your partner’s life, or go to him. Save him from the Joker,” Ra’s said smoothly. Batman glared at Ra’s growling angrily before he stormed out of the office. The assassins outside looked in his direction but made no motion to stop him as he raced through the outpost, to where he stashed the Wingcycle, and began tracking Jason.

Ra’s smiled smugly and turned the TV back on. He cleared his throat and drew the Joker’s attention back to him.

“Joker, your part has been played. Now, release the boy and his mother and you will be well compensated for your role, as we agreed. Twelve million dollars and all of the chemicals and weapons you desire for…whatever madness you have planned back in Gotham City.”

The Joker started pacing on the screen, stroking the crowbar. He made an exaggerated ‘hmm’ sound, before finally turning back toward the camera.

“Nah. I don’t think so,” The Joker replied, lips curving into a vicious grin.

“What?!” Ra’s hissed.

“Change of plans! You see, I just had this deliciously wonderful idea! Bonding time with bird boy!”

“We made a deal, Joker! You were merely meant to serve as a distraction, to keep the detective from interfering with my operation. Nothing more.” Ra’s demanded. The Joker cackled and made Ra’s watch as he slammed Jason in the face with the crowbar. The teen grunted and spit blood onto the floor.

“Things change. And besides, haven’t you heard that old saying?” The Joker went on, his tone going dangerously low. “Ya can’t break a bat without killing a few birds first!” The Joker let out a demented cackle and the screen went dark once again. Ra’s’ eyes widened and then he turned to Ubu.

“Get my chopper ready immediately!”

“Yes sir!” Ubu replied and rushed out of the office.

“What have I unleashed…?”

* * *

Jason grunted as the crowbar struck his face, knocking a tooth loose. He spit it and the accompanying blood onto the floor, and glared back at the Joker. His domino mask had long been destroyed and discarded along with his boots, gloves, and utility belt. He sat in the middle of the cold warehouse, tied to a chair, and his mother laying on the floor, unconscious. He glanced in her direction, then looked down at the floor, closing his eyes.

 _How could she do this? To me? Her son? Why?_ The idea that she had intentionally lured him into this trap hurt more than the blows of the crowbar. He loved his mother dearly, even when she was high on her drugs. His father had been a complete asshole with only a few moments in his life where he’d been a decent father. His mother, however, had always been so kind and motherly to him, even when she was high. And now…he was at the Joker’s mercy because of her treachery. And yet, he still loved her, because she was his mother.

“Aw, hurt doesn’t it? Knowing that mommy didn’t really love you?” The Joker taunted, rubbing at his eyes as he mock cried.

“Fuck you,” Jason spat, spitting blood in the clown’s face. The Joker frowned and pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the blood off of his face. He glared down at the bound teenager, who flashed a smug grin.

“Y’know, the last bird boy actually had some manners. Maybe it’s time for a lesson,” The Joker replied, lips curling into a grin as he struck Jason with the crowbar so hard, the chair tipped over. Jason found his face pressed against the cold, hard floor of the warehouse, grunting in pain as he spit more blood onto the floor. He glanced over at his mother, who was still unconscious.

“Batman’s gonna kick your ass when he gets here,” Jason growled. The Joker knelt down beside him and gripped his hair, pulling hard. Jason groaned in pain.

“What’s that pumpkin? I didn’t hear that over the sound of your puncture lung,” the Joker taunted.

“I said, when Batman gets here, he’s gonna kick your ass,” Jason snarled. The Joker cackled and stood up to his full height again, patting the crowbar.

“Oh I don’t think so princess! The bat ain’t comin’ to save you! Not this time!” The Joker replied, giving a cold laugh. “Now, talk to doctor Joker; what hurts more,” the clown began, striking Jason again with the crowbar. “A or B?” he asked, striking again, and again. “Backhand, or forehand?” He struck Jason again and again, while the teen grunted in pain as each strike of the crowbar sent searing pain throughout his body.

“Go…to…hell,” Jason ground out, still struggling to break free of his bonds. The Joker simply rolled his eyes and threw his arms out wide.

“Ay-ay-ay! You kids today have no manners! You’re a lost cause!” The Joker said with a fake sigh. He grinned down at the teen again and then pulled a switch out of his pocket. As he made his way for the exit, he pressed the button, starting a thirty second count down on a bomb nearby. Jason gasped when he caught sight of it, looking first toward his mother, then the Joker.

“Ah well. Can’t say I didn’t try! Now, you be good! Don’t forget to do your homework! Daddy Joker has to run! And tell Daddy Bats I said hello!” The Joker called back with a demented cackle, slamming the door shut behind himself. Jason groaned in pain, glancing back at his mother who was just coming to. Jason grunted with the effort but he slowly started dragging himself toward her.

“Mom,” Jason called. Catherine woke with a groan and pushed herself into a sitting position.

“Jason!” she called, making her way over toward him.

“No! Mom, run! The bomb!” Jason shouted. She stopped halfway toward him and glanced over at the bombs on the opposite side of the room. Only fifteen seconds remained…

“Jason--”

“Go mom! Run! Save yourself! I’ll be fine!” he lied. Catherine ran for the exit and paused at the door as Jason struggled against the rope that bound him. She bit her lip, then closed her eyes and threw the door open and left. Jason managed to break the chair, but his hands and feet were still bound. He looked over toward the bombs…and sighed, closing his eyes.

_5...4...3...2...1..._

As Batman fought through the mercenaries and made his way toward the warehouse where Jason’s tracker indicated that he was, the building exploded. Batman watched in horror as the place went up, heart hammering in his chest as he began to fear the worst. He raced toward the building, looking for any sign of Jason. Instead, he found Catherine, his mother. He knelt beside her and gingerly lifted her head in his hands. She had been impaled through the stomach by a large piece of wood.

“Jason…I’m…so sorry,” she rasped, tears falling down her face as she died in his arms.

“No…no, Jason, no,” Batman whispered to himself as he began digging through the wreckage for Jason. Batman then fell to his knees as he found the teen, his suit torn and covered in blood. He didn’t have to check for a pulse…but he did…Jason was gone. “No…Jason,” Batman breathed, removing his cowl and not caring who saw as he cradled the teen in his arms, tears falling down his face.

A helicopter whirled overhead as Ra’s al Ghul and Ubu jumped down to the ground from it.

“No…we were too late,” Ra’s breathed, eyes wide as he saw Batman cradling Jason in his arms. He looked around at the devastation, at the unconscious forms of the Joker’s mercenaries. He’d briefly thought to execute them for their role in this heinous crime…and yet at the same time, respecting the detectives code of honor seemed most…appropriate, all things considered. The man approached Batman slowly.

“Detective…I am…truly sorry. This was not by design. I--” Ra’s began. Suddenly, Batman pulled his cowl back on and lurched at Ra’s, grabbing him by his vest. Punch after punch, he nailed Ra’s in the face, letting out all his fury, his rage. Ubu came to his master’s rescue, and signaled for a small force of assassins to hold Batman off as they escaped.

“No. Do not kill him. Call off the operation,” Ra’s muttered out, glancing back at Batman as he fought back Ra’s’ assassins. “I have done enough…”

* * *

_Back in Gotham…_

Dick finished up his patrol through Blüdhaven for the night and made his way back to his apartment building. He’d bought the whole building, thanks to the trust fund his parents had left for him. In Lucius Fox’s hands, it had turned into a small fortune, an impressive thirty-five million dollars. With it, he bought the apartment building and created his own “Nightcave” as he called it, underneath the building. He rented out the other apartments in the building to help keep his funds up, in addition to working as a fitness instructor and personal trainer at his very own gym.

It was good life, here in Blüdhaven; Dick felt free and happy, doing what he loved. He’d considered joining the force, becoming a cop, but when he’d heard about the gym in town closing down, he saw another opportunity. As an acrobat himself, it seemed like the perfect job for him, too!

As Dick climbed into his apartment through his window, he closed the window shut behind him and retreated to his bedroom where he stripped out of his Nightwing suit, and climbed into a pair of blue pajama pants. He heaved a sigh and let himself fall back onto his bed, exhausted.

As Dick lay there, he glanced over at his phone and then grabbed it. He sifted through the contacts for Jason’s number and hit call.

_‘You’ve got the phone of Jason Todd, Self-Proclaimed Prince of Gotham, and total bad ass. If you’re gettin’ this, it’s because I’m busy being, well, amazing. I can’t help it, I’m a natural. Anyway, try again later. I’ll get back to ya soon! Ciao!’_

“Hey Jason. It’s me, Dick. Look, I’ve given some thought about what you said; y’know, us going out on a date? I know you’re probably busy right now, but gimme a call back. I was thinking…maybe we could go to that Chinese Restaurant down in the Bowery you’ve always been talking about? Y’know, the Golden Lotus? Well…alright. I’ll see you soon, Little Wing.” Dick ended the call and set his phone back down. He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. However, no sooner as he closed them, that his phone rang again. He answered it and heard a rather distraught Alfred on the other end. That disturbed Dick enough that he bolted up off of the bed.

“Alfred? What’s wrong?” Dick asked worriedly.

“Master Dick…it’s Master Jason…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm. It wasn't clear in Rebirth Jason's restored backstory, what exactly happened with his mother in Qurac, so I borrowed some bits from Pre-Flashpoint, as well as a dash of "Under The Red Hood". :3


End file.
